Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, when their usual hunger return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
